PETALING JAYA: Malaysia will set up a “war room” to closely monitor the water level of dams nationwide in anticipation of a strong El Nino phenomenon expected to occur this month.
National Water Services Commission (SPAN) chairman Charles Santiago said the purpose of the war room was to allow people to monitor the water levels at the dams in their part of the country round the clock.
“It will be updated on a daily basis and the public can send in questions and call in if they have any queries,” he said yesterday.
He said SPAN will hold a soft launch of the war room tomorrow while the official launch will be on June 14.
Malaysia has entered the dry season linked to the southwest monsoon and the dry season is expected to continue until October, according to the Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC).
The scorching temperatures this year can be attributed to a combination of issues, including lower rainfall over the past winter and El Nino, a weather pattern that typically brings hotter and drier conditions to the region.
The ASMC also said the southern Asean region is expected to have higher risks of haze during the June to October period this year.
The El Nino phenomenon, which usually happens every three to five years and typically lasts nine to 12 months, is a naturally-occurring climate pattern where there is an abnormal warming of the surface waters in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.
This phenomenon produces widespread and sometimes severe changes in the global climate, and affects South-East Asia where it tends to bring drier weather and increase the risk of forest fires and haze, the ASMC’s website said.
Santiago said that SPAN will also be meeting with state water operators on June 14 in order to come up with standard operating procedures for all operators in case of a water shortage.
He said at the moment the water supply level in most of the dams nationwide are under control except two small ones in Penang, without naming the two dams.
“The rest are still under control and are above the 95% level,” he added.
However, despite that, he advised all parties to take the necessary precautions to be prudent on the usage of water during this hot and dry season.
“Normally, the El Nino phenomenon will occur until September but experts have warned that it could go on until October,” he said.
“The next few months will be dire if we do not take the necessary precautions,” Santiago added.
Meanwhile, a total of 14 districts in Peninsular Malaysia have been given a Level 1 heatwave warning by the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia).
According to MetMalaysia’s Heat Wave Status page on its website, the 14 districts are Batang Padang (Perak); Kuala Selangor (Selangor); Jempol (Negri Sembilan); Bentong, Jerantut, Kuantan, Raub, Temerloh, Lipis and Bera in Pahang; Kuala Krai and Pasir Mas in Kelantan; as well as Kinabatangan and Beaufort in Sabah.
According to the website, a Level 1 warning is issued when temperatures at a location are between 35°C and 37°C for three consecutive days.
An orange alert, or Level 2 heatwave warning, will be issued when temperatures are between 37°C and 40°C for three consecutive days while the red alert, or extreme heatwave warning, occurs when temperatures are above 40°C for three consecutive days.
MetMalaysia also reported that other areas in the peninsula, as well as Sabah and Sarawak, recorded daily maximum temperatures of below 35°C.
